Tyler Farrar Wins Stage 10; Vinokourov Still in Overall Lead at Giro d'Italia

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(Photo by AFP/Getty Images)

American rider Tyler Farrar won his second stage of the 2010 Giro d'Italia when he collected the 10th stage on Tuesday, a 230-kilometer ride from Avellino to Bitonto. Kazakhstan's Alexander Vinokourov retained the overall leader's pink jersey.

Farrar, 25, beat home Italian Fabio Sabatini while the American's teammate Julian Dean of New Zealand was third, after doing excellent lead-out work for the stage winner, while Australian veteran Robbie McEwen was fourth.

Farrar, who got off the mark with the second stage of the race in the Netherlands, said he had been prepared to let the hard-working Dean win the stage until he saw danger approaching in the form of Sabatini.

"Julian launched the sprint in an incredible way," said Farrar, who confessed he had not had the juice in his legs for Monday's sprint finish. "I hesitated a little to see if he could win but then I saw Sabatini arriving from behind. Our work as a team when it comes to setting up the sprint is beginning to bear fruit. Confidence is growing, as much on my part as the team's."

McEwen said he had used up too much energy trying to get into a good position from which to attack. "It was a complicated finish and I had to use a lot of energy in the last kilometers to get into position, so I missed the power to attack the last corner at 250m and surprise the others like I'd planned," said the 37-year-old veteran, winner of 12 stages on the Tour of Italy during his career.

Vinokourov was delighted to have had a restful day but said that he would have to be watchful in Wednesday's stage, which at 262km is the longest of this year's race, from Lucera to l'Aquila. "Tomorrow (Wednesday), is a tough route, like that of a one day classic," said the 36-year-old, who was thrown out of the 2007 Tour de France in disgrace for blood doping, for which he served a one-year suspension. "The final bit is difficult. Will I attack? It is for the other riders to do that as they are not in the pink jersey. We will see what the legs are like. The team (Astana) will control affairs. I cannot say that I am going to win the stage. After 230 kilometres, things are different, it is not the same riders."